Just Like Old Times
by Jenefur
Summary: "She's 13 the first time he holds her hand. She's 13 and she thinks she might be in love."


She's young. That's the first thing Lin notices.

She came with Tenzin, arm wrapped tightly around his, to her mother's friend's annual meet and greet, a collective gathering of history's heroes hosted by none other than the Avatar's (former Avatar, she thinks, _former_) wife.

She's small; short, but not stocky, her female figure is evident even under the layered air acolyte garb.

'She's young', Lin thinks, as she gazes at them from across the room, her green eyes narrowing slightly, her left hand clutching the drink in her hand a little tighter.

Age had never been a concern to Lin; she's strong, she's capable, she's a rising star within the police force and is on her way to surpassing even her own mother in skill and talent.

But for some reason, it bothers her, the _youngness_ attached to Tenzin's arm. Though her figure hinted at womanhood, her very presences screamed child, all wide eyed and easy smiles. Naivety almost glowed off of her.

'Naïve' Lin thinks, a better word than young. 'She doesn't know.' With her blinking stares and meek laughter, how could she know? She wasn't there, dealing with the aftermath that Yakone's followers left; she wasn't there when Uncle Sokka passed, when Tenzin got his tattoos, or when she got her scars. She didn't have to see Tenzin's face when his father died—

Lin looks away and quietly leaves the room, ignoring the persistent look she gets from Kya as she exits.

'She's young', Lin thinks as she departs the building, the moon hung high in the sky, the wind pressing gently across her face. But as she heads further into her city, the thought leaves her head because she's 33, she's strong, and she doesn't have time for this.

* * *

She's 13 the first time he holds her hand.

They're running through a field surrounding Tenzin's house. He'd been gabbing wildly about some kind of trick his father has just taught him and how it's going to revolutionize the way he goes about gliding. She told him she didn't care, that she couldn't fly, and it would be of no use for her to see it (because really an earthbender and a glider just didn't mix well), but he was persistent, grabbing her hands eagerly and running through the field towards the airbending training courtyard.

It wasn't often that Tenzin got excited; more often than not, he was stoic at best, making simple comments here and there, not wanting to engage in the trips his older siblings tended to get mixed up in.

But with Lin, he was always like this, boisterous, excited, and downright annoying. He seemed to make it his personal goal to include her in things that she simply had no interest in. And she, for the life of her, could not understand why.

And then he held her hand.

It wasn't a personal handhold; Lin was sure he probably didn't realize what he was doing. But when leading her through the field, his hand slipped into her grasp and held tightly as they weaved through seemingly endless plains of grass. As they ran, she glanced down at their intertwined hands and couldn't help the flush that took over her face. It didn't mean anything to him, she was sure; physical contact was a part of his family. His own father had a tendency to hug everything that moved, so she reasoned that handholding would seem simple to him. But to Lin this is something, because she was an earthbender, touch is important; touch is viable, touch is visceral, touch is how you _see_—

When they get to the courtyard, Tenzin releases her hand and Lin tries to remove the flush from her face, telling herself that it was the run that made her feel so warm. Tenzin attempts to show her the move he has just learned and is spirals and circles all at once. He falls down three times; she only laughs once.

As the sun goes down and the rays reflect on the island that Avatar's family calls their home, the reds and purples bounce off of Tenzin as he spins, surrounding him in an ethereal glow. And Lin watches, despite telling herself that she has no interest, because she can't find it in her to look away.

She's 13 the first time he holds her hand. She's 13 and she thinks she might be in love.

* * *

Lin's parents are not like Tenzin's parents.

Tenzin's parents are made of fluff, all "sweethearts" and public affection. Even when they argue, their comments are never backhanded and all issues tend to be resolved within the hour, sealed with compliments and a kiss.

Her parents are not like this. Their conversations are rough, full of lightly toned insults and sarcastic comments. They display affection with light punches on the arm or impromptu duels in the middle of the street. Their fights are sharp lines and jagged edges, each passing moment tensing up the air around them, as they aim lower and lower and lower. Sometimes, their fights last for days; Lin's remembers one instance where they didn't speak to each other for an entire week (because Mother invented metalbending and Father was a freedom fighter and they were both too proud to say sorry first)

Father will say, "I don't need you!" (which isn't true) and Mother will say, "You're useless" (which is even less true) And everything around them will heat up and explode, often leaving many parts of their house in disarray from the accidental bending Mother will do when things get a little too heated.

But when the earth cooled and the tempers flared down, there was no dramatic ending or grand apology. Father would simply come behind Mother, wrap his arms around her waist, and kiss the side of her head. And Mother would reach up and touch his face and for a short time, all would be still and silent. Lin would see them, in their home's courtyard, standing still, simply touching. Then, it would be done and they would go about rearranging the house, filing paperwork, or doing whatever it was they were doing before.

Tenzin's parents are all about grand gestures and public show. Lin remembers one year, for their anniversary, when the Avatar flew into the sky and created a cloud model of Aunt Katara scaling the entire length of the city. It remained in the air for 3 days.

Lin remembers her Mother laughing at Father's description of Katara's deteriorating cloud body, as pieces of her slowly faded, leaving a floating head left in the sky.

Lin's parents aren't one to show off their affection. Some people questioned if they loved each other at all. But Lin sees and knows things she thinks other people don't see.

Lin sees her Father's tenderly soft look when he gazes at Mother when she's out in front of him. Lin knows that he took the Bei Fong family name because his family was killed by fire when he was 5 and he doesn't remember his.

Lin sees her Mother grasp her Father's hand when she's worried or frustrated or simply thinks no one is looking. Lin knows that, even though Mother doesn't wear one, the helmets that the Police Squad wears are in reference to her Father, matching the old helmet his uniform used to have.

Lin's parents are not like Tenzin's parents, but she thinks that this doesn't mean they love each other any less.

(When she's 24 and she fights with Tenzin, _really_ fights with him, its all jagged lines and bursts of air. As she walks away, she can't help but feel that this is her parent's relationship; tender, but uncompromising. But when Tenzin sends her flowers and a note simply saying 'Sorry', she thinks that theirs might just be a mix of the two.)

* * *

She's 34 and is Chief of Police. Her mother has retired from the Police force and Lin is now head of the entire department. She is in the best physical shape she has ever been in her life, she is in full control of the city she watches over, she has the respect of the men who work under her, and Tenzin is getting married in 2 weeks.

She hasn't officially met Pema; she knows of her, has seen her around at events that Tenzin and herself were required to attend, but she's never met her and that makes her a bit uneasy.

So she checks her public record file on a whim, because she can't have her friend of over 30 years marry someone who might not be of the best social character.

She finds an unsigned permit, allowing her living residence at the Air Acolyte temple, and a handful of unpaid parking tickets.

It's not much, but it's enough to put her in a cell for 2 days.

Tenzin arrives within the first 16 hours.

"Lin!" he shouts as he barges into her newly furnished office. She turns her head away from her follow-up reports and sees Tenzin standing in front of her desk, panting heavily, face slowly turning red. She looks up at him and notices that he's letting his beard grow out longer than usual. It's starting to elongate his face. She doesn't like it.

"Tenzin" she states simply, turning back to her files in an uninterested manner, going over what Captain Saikhan had reported. The Triple Threat Triads were getting rowdy this past week…

"Lin, this is completely unacceptable! What on earth do you think your doing?"

"I am upholding the laws and jurisdictions as this city employs me to do," Lin said simply, idly turning a page of the report, "If your _little friend, _has a problem with that, she can take it up with you and the city council members."

"Little…_little, _Lin she is going to be my wife! You can't just throw her in jail on charges that have absolutely no merit! This is a blatant disregard for justice within the city. Release her immediately! It is completely irresponsible and I have no idea how your mother would fee—"

At that comment, something in Lin snaps.

"Just because", she slams her file on her desk and stalks over to Tenzin, her green eyes snapping up to meet his, "you have to deal with a _child _all day" despite her anger, she feels mild satisfaction at the way Tenzin's eyes narrow, "does not mean that you get to talk to me like one. I am not a child, Tenzin. I am Chief of the Police and am in charge of making sure this city is safe. You have _no_ say in my life or actions anymore. And that was your decision. Do not come into my office, into _my_ space" as she speaks, she feels the metal floor cracking underneath her, " and tell me how to do my job." The air around them is tense and neither of them is making a move to do anything. Lin sees that Tenzin is struggling to hold a comment back in his mouth. He was always like this when he was angry, never pushing the line to say what he really wanted to say. That was always Lin, always aiming low, hitting hard, and striking fast.

A moment passes and Lin feels something in her burn, something she can't quite put her finger on (she knows what it is, but she can't, _will not_, admit it) and turns away from Tenzin heading towards the door.

"Saikhan!" she yells loudly, her voice vibrating around the room, "Let her out."

She hears Tenzin breathe an audible sign of relief as she turns back to the file she slammed on the desk. There's a slight dent visible on the surface of the table.

She feels Tenzin's shifting in place in front of her. "Lin I—"

"Get out of my office" she snaps turning her head back to the report, "Next time you barge in here, I'll have you detained."

Tenzin is silent for moment, before he nods and exits. Lin scans over the report in her hands, not realizing how tightly she's holding it until her hands start to shake.

(Within the next week, Tenzin gets married. She doesn't go, despite her invitation. They don't talk for 4 months.)

* * *

She's 40 and is attending a councilmen gala held in honor of the Bei Fong family achievements. Both her parents have passed. Her mother when she was 38, her father the year after. She is the only Bei Fong left to attend the event.

She wearing a dress, long, green, and classically layered, framing her shape in ways that her police uniform simply could not do. It's her mothers dress, one of the only dresses she's ever seen her mother wear.

She meets and greets all of the cities high rollers and investors, who offer her both congratulations and condolences.

She thinks that they expect her to feel proud; instead she just feels tired.

As she turns away from another tightly lipped conversation, she runs straight into Tenzin, who is standing behind her.

He hasn't been in the city for the past 3 years. Pema and himself had been traveling to the other air temples, taking some of the historical pieces and transferring them to Air Temple Island. The beard that he had been growing out is even longer now, curving in a v-shaped manner. She still doesn't like it.

"Lin" he says quietly, standing in front of her. She didn't say anything and is subconsciously tugging at the bottom of her dress' sleeves. Tenzin clears his throat and shifts from side to side and Lin can see that he's trying to think of something to say.

"You look nice" is what he finally settles on, lips stretching out into a smile that doesn't quite meet his eyes. She still doesn't say anything, though she feels her hands clench her sleeves tightly for a moment.

The air around them is awkward, as it has been since Lin tried to arrest his then fiancé. Tenzin shifts around, running a hand across his head and coughs lightly into his hand. Then, he tries again.

"I heard about your parents" he says, and Lin feels something in her drop, "Lin, I'm so sorry I wasn't here—"

But it's too much and Lin doesn't want to hear it. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Pema standing alone, looking at them with worried eyes. She's hugely pregnant and she's leaning heavily against one of the tables set up at the event. Lin doesn't know why they're here.

'Its too much', Lin thinks as she watches as Tenzin fumbles with his words, not quite articulating what he wants to say. 'It's too much, it's too soon, your pregnant wife is here, and my parents _just_ died, and you weren't here, you weren't here like I was for you when your father died, you weren't _here_—'

But Lin doesn't say this. She watches Tenzin quietly for a moment before turning away slightly. "Go back to your wife, Tenzin", is all she says and she walks away, heading toward Captain Saikhan and other members of her police squad.

She can hear Tenzin try to call out to her, but she keeps moving because she's so tired and she can't deal with this right now.

(This time, it's Tenzin who leaves the party first, wife in tow. She stays until the very end, heads home, and reviews some of the reports she has to go over for the following week. Her mother's dress hangs stagnantly in her closet. She never wears it again.)

* * *

She's 50 and she thinks the Avatar is rash, wild, and has no idea what she is doing.

This new Avatar, _Korra, _had been in the city for less than 2 months and had already managed to destroy half a block, draw enormous amounts of attention to herself, and cause the anti-bending movement to increase ten-fold. She was loud, disruptive, embodied everything this city did not need, and was completely in over her head. But Lin figured if this girl had no idea what she was doing, then neither did Tenzin.

She couldn't figure out why Tenzin allowed this girl to stay. She had no reason to be here; she wasn't a fully realized Avatar yet and her introduction just made everything worse. And with this whole fiasco at the pro-bending tournament, her job was only going to get harder.

Lin leaned back in her chair in her office, stretching out her arms as she stared up at the hard, metal ceiling. Last night was rough; the city had lost numerous Police air ships and some of her own men had been injured. Waterbenders had still been trying to put out some of the fires above the arena early this morning.

It was also the first time she had worked with Tenzin in over 6 years.

Their relationship was a mess; it was clear to everyone around them. Her mother would have told her to pluck up and stop being wimp about the situation, but a part of her, a big, gapping part, couldn't let it go.

"Just like old times", he told her.

She closed her eyes and breathed in.

She had an arena to clean up, officers to attend to, and a meeting with the Council that afternoon to sort out the mess that had just taken place.

She opened her eyes and breathed out.

The first time they worked together in 6 years.

He put his hand on her shoulder last night and for the first time in a long time, the burn in her chest didn't hurt as fiercely. It wasn't much. It wasn't anything really. But as Lin got out of her chair and made her way out of her office, she felt that, for right now, it was enough.


End file.
